Friday 24 May 2013

Anne Semonin Skincare | Face Masks and Marine Emulsion


Anyone who knows me will know that I love a good face mask. My skin and troublesome complexion are the constant bane of my life and anything that will show any signs of improvement to it, however short term those improvements may be, I am willing to give them a shot.

Walking away from the Bloggers North Meet Up with a gorgeous Anne Semonin 'Goodie Bag' provided by my friend Nikki from Beautyshaker.com, left me very happy as when I peeked inside I saw a set of four Anne Semonin face masks in a kind of 'tester format' pack. The set is called The Daily Musts* and you can buy this set from Anne Semonin here, although there are other retailers for the products, such as Beauty Bay and Cult Beauty. I was also separately sent a couple of samples of Anne Semonin's Marine Emulsion* to test out too - you can find the full size of this here.


The Daily Musts - Face Mask Pack
The Daily Musts set is a collection of four mini versions of Anne Semonin masks and there should be something for everyone, it includes: a mineral mask, an exfoliating mask, a gel mask, and a cream mask; all with different effects on the skin. Each of these masks are available to buy individually, but they're pretty pricey at £40+ a pot, so this pack is an ideal way to dip your toe in the waters, see if they're for you and maybe find a favourite - I can hands down tell you that I'm now head over heels in love with the exfoliating mask. This would also make a lovely gift as it's packaged lovely and all of the products are gorgeous quality as they're used in all the best spas and salons. I thoroughly enjoyed popping on my bathrobe and fluffy headband, kicking back and smothering some skin loving nutrients all over my face. I had no adverse reactions to any of them and they all left my skin looking in tip top condition. 

Although the pack costs around £24 and that may seem steep, there is enough product in each small pot to get up to four uses out of it, so you are essentially paying for 16 face treatments when purchasing this pack. For such good quality that seems like a sweet deal to me!



Mineral Mask
The mineral mask was the one that I was most eager to try as it claims to 'boost vitality, purifies, detoxifies, tightens and rebalances' the skin, 'leaving an all over healthy glow'. I hate with a passion the term 'healthy glow' and think that it is so overused, but that's what the mask description says this will provide to you. It is supposed to be ideal for dull and congested skin - hey, that's my face in a nutshell! I have to say that I was quite underwhelmed with this decongesting mask and didn't feel like it did a whole lot for me. Unfortunately I didn't sense much of a detox or purification of my skin, even after using it for 4 days in a row as it is supposed to be suitable for daily use. It should have been perfect for me, but I failed to see results with this one! (Not to mention it looks like I've smeared cow poop on my face - niiiice).



Exfoliating Mask
It was, however, a different story with the exfoliating mask. This one can be used as a quick exfoliator and washed off after 2 minutes, or left longer for 10 mins to provide a deeper clean. The aim of this one is to improve radiance by removing dead surface skin cells to 'smooth, refine and brighten the skin' - now that's a claim I can agree with! The consistency reminded me of Flubber, it was all goopy and bouncy, and although I only got 2 uses from the mini tub, I could happily use this mask again and again and again - I need to buy the full size! It left my skin looking sparkling clean, fresh and really bright and clear. One of the most pleasant exfoliators I have ever used.


Gel Mask
The gel mask is another one for improving the radiance of skin and it was so calming and relaxing to use. This one was described as the 'instant pick me up' of the set, and again this is a statement I can agree with. It doesn't look like much on the skin as it just it just a clear, silver-y gel but it is a hydrating and energising mask that improves elasticity and plumps it up. More targetted towards older skin types than my own as it 'tones fine lines and wrinkles', but I still reaped the benefits from the stimulation and felt a boost to my skin's appearance. It says that it can be ideal to use before a night out and as I have a little bit left that is what I intend to use it for as it has really noticeable instant results - perfect for when you want to look your best. 


Cream Mask
This cream mask is one for dry, tight and flaky skin and although I don't have much of a need for this mask, I gave it a whirl all in the name of trial and research ..and oh my am I glad I tried it. Imagine taking your most expensive moisturiser, and I'm not talking something £10 or the likes of Nivea, I'm talking real high end liquid silk, and think of rubbing a thick and creamy layer of that all over your skin and just enjoying the calming and soothing effects. Ah, heaven! It partially sinks into the skin after a couple of minutes and is to be rinsed off after just two minutes, but it can also be left as an overnight treatment (as I sleep face down into my pillow I didn't see much use in me trying that one!). It gave a really relaxed and supple feeling to my skin after I'd washed it off and this is another mask than can used daily.


Overall thoughts and conclusion:
The pots aren't resealable, they come with a peel off lid - this poses a problem when they have more than one use in them; to combat this I simply wrapped the pot in clingfilm to prevent them from drying out before I came to use them again. Perhaps they could come with a sealable lid as an improvement? I really, really enjoying using 3 out of these 4 masks and would take into consideration buying this small pack again, however I would like the option to perhaps mix and match the samples within the set so I can do without the decongesting mineral mask? - We can't have everything though! I think it's a genius idea that you can also make a 'customised blend' of the masks and mix them together to get the effects of a two-in-one.


Marine Emulsion - Day Cream
One last thing to mention! This pricey little day cream is hands down the most luxurious moisturiser that my skin has ever come into contact with. If you're looking to invest in something that will do wonders for your skin and make you feel like a movie star every time you apply it then this is a direction to look in! Made with shea butter to nourish and hydrate the skin, seaweed extract to balance excess oil and regenerate skin cells and marine criste to improve circulation this is a concoction that dreams are made of. It's rich and nourishing but perfect for controlling oilier skin types, and if I had over £50 going spare to splash on a moisturiser then I can tell you this is one I would want all to myself! 


I'm sorry that this post is super duper long and very lengthy - I didn't realise that I had so much to talk about! But I hope you've enjoyed reading about these skincare bits from Anne Semonin and you can visit their site if you'd like to learn some more. It's a lovely and luxurious spa based brand that I would thoroughly recommend taking a look at. 


* (c/o)  Anne Semonin

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5 comments:

  1. I also love a good face mask, it's interesting to see which ones are much better than others :)x
    www.vintagemacaroons.blogspot.co.uk

    ReplyDelete
  2. These sound different but never heard of this company before. Apart from the horrible smelling one they sound good :)

    xx

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  3. Hello lovely, I just remembered to read this!! I absoloutley LOVE exfoliating mask, it's the only one I have full size, just as a little tip I would say (just going by your picture) you could use half that amount and it will still work the same you just rub it off sooner :). It's a shame about the Mineral Mask I thought you would love it - minus the pong! Xx

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  4. There is definately a great deal to know about this subject. I like all of the points you've made. ffp3 face mask

    ReplyDelete

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